How to choose a public relations firm

A public relations firm can help you put your best face forward and effectively communicate the message that you want to get across about your company. But to get the most out of your public relations efforts, it’s important to choose a firm that is well-suited to your needs.

Public relations firms communicate through the media and other channels to ensure your message reaches current and potential customers and investors, government officials and the public at large. The firms may help you meet a host of goals, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, soothing investors and customers as you weather a crisis, generating publicity about a new product or service, establishing your firm as an expert on a certain topic, or helping sway public opinion for a project that requires public approval.

But in order to choose a firm that can help you meet your goals, you must first clearly define what those goals are. This will help you narrow your search and home in on firms that are experts in the areas you require.

To get the names of a few local public relations firms, ask colleagues for recommendations, search the Internet and comb the pages of business and trade journals. Members of the media, who deal regularly with public relations professionals, can be excellent sources of recommendations, as their experience will allow them to pick out the hardest-working and most talented public relations professionals from the pack.

When you interview a few public relations firms, be upfront about your objectives. Ask the firms how they propose helping you.

These initial conversations will be very telling. Note whether the professionals listen carefully to your goals, express a keen understanding and seem to have the knowledge and resources to expertly guide you. How long have the firms been in business? Do they strike you as trustworthy and professional?

Public relations efforts should begin with a solid plan, complete with measurable goals. Ask the firms you interview about plans they created for companies with goals similar to yours. Find out how successful the firms were in executing these plans.

Ask the firms for a list of their clients. Where do you fit in? If you’re larger than any of the companies on the list, be wary; the firm may not have the resources or experience to meet your needs. Similarly, if you are very small in comparison, you may not get the attention you might command from a firm whose bread and butter is handling smaller accounts.

Visiting the firm’s offices can give you a wealth of information about the professionalism of the operation and the firm’s staff. Find out which staff members will be assigned to your account, and ask to meet these individuals.

Also, ask about the breadth and depth of the firm’s contacts at the media organizations, government bodies and other associations that are applicable to your public relations efforts. Find out how experienced the firm is in using the Internet for social marketing and other Web-based campaigns, which provide increasingly important and often affordable communication channels.

A public relations firm that is knowledgeable about your industry can provide valuable information about trends affecting your business. Good public relations firms track what is going on in their clients’ industries, which allows them to better advise their clients. Find out how the firms you interview keep up on industry developments, and how much they already know about your field.

Finally, as fees and rates for services can vary considerably, ask the firms upfront how much they charge and what you will get for your investment.

6 comments

Great story! If you ARE interviewing firms, ask what they’ll do to generate news coverage, when you don’t have any major announcements planned. A great publicist will identify those opportunities for you. Be clear, before you sign a contract, what the agency will work on each month. Ask for documentation of their activities and results on a regular basis. Liz Vogel, EightOneOne Public Relations/ANEW Marketing Group

Excellent article. Covers all the bases. Knowing the client’s industry and the reporters that cover it are critical for a public relations professional. And it should be kept in mind that most small companies don’t have enough newsworthy material to warrant consistent media coverage in a target market. — David Pinkowitz (www.dcpmarketing.com)

One major base was overlooked — writing skills.
So many PR agencies/PR professionals lack attention
to detail and basic journalistic proficiency.

Most journalists do not trust copy that appears
filled with typos and other grammatical/syntax errors. A
strong new story can become very weak in a hurry if
it comes off written by a 5th grader.

All PR pros readily profess to possessing an abundance
of media contacts. It’s overrated actually. Give me
a PR pro who actually has a writing background,
the ability to think quickly/intelligently, and is
responsive – and I’ll hire them right away for my
PR team.

Contacts with the press? Yes, they are good to have,
but too often they are just rattled off by PR execs
who can’t construct a good sentence.

This is a great article that covers all the bases. I would just add that beyond publicity and marketing, the right public relations firm can directly benefit your business through introductions to important marketplace contacts. It’s a major part of the value we bring to clients. A well established PR firm can look over a client’s target list and say, “I know the president of that company. Let’s see if we can get you a meeting.” — Lloyd Singer, VP, Epoch 5 Public Relations (www.epoch5.com)

It’s essential that PR pros possess strong writing skills in order to effectively communicate with the public. A lack of these skills will equate to a less than perfect image… for not only the PR firm, but their clients as well.

Good article. My firm Corbett Public Relations has been providing PR services to Long Island clients for over 20 years. Long Island is home to many quality PR firms and professionals. However when looking for a good firm make sure that they have back up. One person shop can only do so much for a client. Ask for in person meetings and if the firm charges by the hour ask for monthly detailed accounting. One of the major problems with large firms is the bait and switch. Make sure you meet with the principal of the firm and have them be very clear with you abut who will manage the account. Often principals are out working with their large clients and seeking PR for themselves and not working directly for their smaller clients. Ask hour many hours each month the principal will spend working on your account and hold them to it. If they don’t committee to at least a day a month look for another firm.

About the Author

Bernadette Starzee is the special sections editor for Long Island Business News.